LEBEAU — Most basketball teams wish they could regroup as well as North Central. The Hurricanes should be reeling after the lost of three starters.But the regrouping Hurricanes are in control of the District 5-lA race after a 70-61 win over Mamou Tuesday. The victory lifts Mamou to 3-0 in district games, 8-13 overall.The Green Demons fall to 1-1 in league contests, 10-10 overall.
    North Central is playing without Adrian Ford, who was lost to academic troubles, along with Fred Tanner and Eric Blueitt. Hurricane head coach Clarence “Butch” Fontenot would only say Tanner’s and Blueitt’s absence is due to ‘personal problems.”
    Fontenot has been able to reduce the effects of their loss with Jimmy Gaines, a junior guard in his first season of competition. Gaines was a scoring machine against Mamou with a game-high of 27 points, which included 11 field goals and five-of- seven free throws.
    ‘He played well,” said Fontenot. ‘This is only his first year of basketball. “He came up to me one day and said, ‘Coach, I want to help you.’ I asked him how he was classified, and he said he was a junior.
“He’s been a good player.”
    Derrick Tezeno, North Central’s usual workhorse in the paint, was right behind Gaines with 25 points. Mamou coach John Jack said his Green Demons couldn’t control Tezeno,
    “We were able to tie it up late in the game and it seemed like momentum had shifted our way,’ said Jack. “But with the Tezeno kid, I don’t know what to say about him.
    “We played five guys on him and two of them fouled out. He’s a good athlete and we couldn’t stop him.” Mamou led 13-12 at the end of the first quarter before North Central gained a 35-27 edge at halftime. Gaines had13 points in the second quarter.
After the Hurricanes went up 39-29 in the third, Mamou went on 12-2 run to tie the game 41-41 with 2:15 left, Dale Serie had eight points during the run, including two three-point baskets, Emerson Batey had another three to tie the game 44-44, a score that held until the end of the period. But North Central remained ahead for the rest of the game.
    After Mamou cut the difference to 57-56 before the ‘Canes pulled away for good. Gaines had two baskets during the run and Tezeno completed a four-point play for a 64-56, North Central lead.